Associated impact of the COVID-19 induced lockdown on air quality of Kolkata Metropolitan Area (India)

As a pandemic, COVID 19 spread worldwide in early 2020. Primarily densely populated countries had remained vulnerable due to this biological hazard. Many people were forced to stay home owing to nature of the disease and no respite. A nationwide lockdown was implemented in India for 29 days (March 24th to April 21st) of 2020 during the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. During the nationwide lockdown, industries, transport, and other commercial activities were suspended, except for necessary services. During the entire pandemic situation, an affirmative impact was observed as the air quality was reported to have improved worldwide. The complete economic lockdown to check COVID-19, brought unforeseen relief from severe condition of air quality. An apparent, reduction in level of PM2.5 and Air Quality Index (AQI) was experienced over Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Hyderabad, and Chennai. Present work explores the various metrics of air pollution in Kolkata, West Bengal, India (imposed as a result of containment measure for COVID-19). The polluting parameters (e.g., PM10, PM2.5, SO2, NO2, CO, O3, and NH3) were chosen for seven monitoring stations (Ballygunge, Fort William, Victoria, Bidhannagar, Jadavpur, Rabindra Bharati, Rabindra Sarabar), which are spread across the metropolitan area of Kolkata. National Air Quality Index (NAQI) has been used to show pre-and during-lockdown air quality spatial patterns. The findings showed major changes in air quality throughout the lockdown period. The highest reduction in pollutants emission was observed for: PM10 (- 60.82%), PM2.5 (-45.05%) and NO2 (-62.27%), followed by NH3 (- 32.12%) and SO2 (-32.00%), CO (-47.46%), O3 (15.10%). During the lockdown, the NAQI value was reduced by 52.93% in the study area. © 2022 University of Craiova, Faculty of Social Sciences, Department of Geography. All rights reserved.

Perceptions on COVID-19 Vaccination among People Aged more than 50 years in Urban Field Practice Area of Department of Community Medicine in a Tertiary Care Teaching Hospital, Hyderabad: A Reflection from Focus Group Discussions.

Background: Despite several efforts to limit the viral transmission, the COVID-19 vaccine has been the only "the ray of hope" to end the pandemic. However, vaccine hesitancy could reduce coverage and hinder herd immunity. People's intention to get vaccinated can be shaped by several factors, including risk perception which, in turn, is influenced by effect. The need to acquaint oneself to the beliefs, concerns, and circumstances of one's own population in the community becomes important for successful implementation of the program. Therefore, the present study was conducted to gain insights into perceptions of vaccination. Objectives: The objective is to understand the felicitating factors and hindering factors for acceptance of vaccines by the population among people aged 50 years in urban field practice area of the Department of Community Medicine in a Tertiary care teaching hospital, Hyderabad. Subjects and Methods: Data were extracted from audio recording of five focus group discussions that were conducted in the urban field practice care of a tertiary care teaching hospital in Hyderabad through open-ended questions. Categories, subcategories, and themes were created by deductive approach. Results: The motivating factors for vaccine acceptance were found to be fear of getting disease, wanting to return normalcy, and trust in treating doctors, whereas, barriers were fear of death due to vaccine, opacity in vaccine details, anxiety, and misinterpretation of adverse events. Conclusion: Having a clear understanding about the belief system of the target population could help in designing the guidelines for vaccination program to escalate the immunization and increase the acceptance.

COVID-19 Impact on Household Food Security in Urban and Peri-Urban Areas of Hyderabad, India.

This paper investigates the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on food security and on coping-strategies in urban and peri-urban areas of the Hyderabad, India. Household survey data were collected before (October 2018) and during (January 2021) the onset of the pandemic. Results from logistic regression with the standarized Food Insecurity Expecience Scale (FIES) as dependent variable reveal that close to 40% of the households surveyed experienced a deterioration in food security status during the pandemic. In particular, we find that food security is closely related to the sector of employment in which the primary income- earning member of a household is engaged. To mitigate the impact of the pandemic on their food security, our sampled households adopted a variety of consumption-smoothing strategies including availing credit from both formal and informal sources, and liquidating their savings. Compared to households with severe or moderate level of food insecurity, households facing a mild level of food insecurity relied on stored food as a strategy to smoothen consumption in response to the income shock imparted by the pandemic. In addition, the results indicate that urban households, who adopted similar coping strategies as those adopted by peri-urban households, tended to be more food-insecure. Finally, the duration of unemployment experienced during the pandemic significantly influenced the status of household food security. These findings can inform the formulation of immediate and medium-term policy responses, including social protection policies conductive to mitigating the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and ameliorating the governance of urban food security during unexpected events and shocks.

Study of correlation between ratio of partial pressure of arterial oxygen and fractional inspired oxygen (PaO2/FiO2) and duration of hospital stay in COVID-19 patients

Background: COVID-19 can lead to fatal co-morbidities especially acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) with some patients progressing very rapidly to respiratory distress and ending up with ICU admission and some succumbing to death. COVID-19 mainly affected the respiratory system with damage to other organs. Objective: The aim of the study was to measure the correlation between ratio of partial pressure of arterial oxygen and fractional inspired oxygen (PaO2/FiO2) and duration of hospital stay in covid-19 patients. Materials and methods: We prospectively studied a series of 32 COVID-19 patients admitted to the General Medicine Department of Malla Reddy Institute of Medical Sciences, Hyderabad. We attained the arterial blood gas study of the patients within the first 24 hours of admission and calculated ratio of partial pressure of arterial oxygen and fractional inspired oxygen (PaO2/FiO2). Data entry was done using Microsoft Excel 2013 and analysis using SPSS 16v. Qualitative data were entered in Frequencies and percentage and Quantitative data was expressed in Mean and Standard deviation. Pearson correlation coefficient was used to find the correlation between PAO2/FiO2 and Hospital stay in days. P value of <0.05 was considered to be statistically significant. Results: Patients with lower ranges of PaO2/FiO2 ratio were found to have prolonged hospital stay (PHS, >21 days). The mean PaO2/FiO2 ratio was 248.38 ± 128.67, minimum and maximum being 67.3% and 435.1% respectively. In patients with hospital stay of >21 days the mean ratio was 136.74 ± 60.89, while in the patients with stay of <21 days, the mean ratio was 360.03 ± 62.61 (p value <0.0001). The mean PAO2/FiO2 in those with prolonged hospital stay (>21 days) was significantly low compared to those with duration of hospital stay <21 days. This finding was statistically significant as the p value calculated to be <0.05. No significant association was found between the presence of co-morbidities (diabetes;hypertension), age, gender distribution with prolonged hospital stay. Conclusion: A significant correlation was observed with a Low PaO2/FiO2 ratio on admission and prolonged hospital stay in Covid-19 patients. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of International Archives of Integrated Medicine is the property of International Archives of Integrated Medicine and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full . (Copyright applies to all s.)

Unusual presentation of acid base abnormalities in critically ill COVID-19 patients: A retrospective observational study in a tertiary care centre, Telangana

Introduction: Since the novel corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was declared a pandemic, the impact globally has been unparalleled. The World Health Organization (WHO) has notified about the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) as pandemic and have been identified as the causative agent for pneumonia and ARDS shortly thereafter. As the severity of COVID-19 progresses, many patients require intensive care unit (ICU) admission requiring frequent arterial blood gas (ABG) analysis which led to discovery of unusual acid base abnormalities in the patients. Arterial blood gas analysis is an important routine investigation to monitor the acid base balance of the patients, effectiveness of gas Exchange. Disorders of acid base balance can complicate many diseases and occasionally the abnormality may be so severe that it can be life threatening. The present study was carried out to assess acid-base patterns in COVID-19 ICU patients and to find their outcomes. Objective: To find out profile and pattern of Arterial Blood Gas anomalies (ABG) in intensive care (COVID-19) patients. Materials and methods: A single-center retrospective, observational study in a dedicated COVID-19 intensive care unit from the period of 8 months. A total of 32 Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT PCR) positive cases;that needed ICU admission were included in this study done at Malla Reddy Institute of Medical Sciences, Hyderabad, India. Data of Arterial Blood Gas (ABG) performed on day of admission was noted and they were followed up until they remained in ICU. Results: The age group affected with COVID-19 in this study was 26-75 years. Out of the patients admitted 21 were male (M) and 11 were female (F). Average duration of hospital stay for patients included in study was 22.31 + 9.68. Out of 32 patients, there were 81.25% (n=26) survivors and (n=6) (18.75%) were non-survivors. In this study population majority of patients had (n=7) (21.88%) metabolic alkalosis, while 5 patients (15.63%) had Normal ABG. Metabolic acidosis was seen in 4 patients (12.50%), and respiratory acidosis was seen in 4 patients (12.50%) each. Conclusion: Majority of patients admitted with COVID-19 experienced pH changes with a wide range of acid--base abnormalities, with metabolic alkalosis being the most prevalent. The observed occurrence of metabolic alkalosis on admission in a large number of COVID-19 patients is an undocumented finding that necessitates a multicenter investigation to uncover the disease's pathogenesis, including the importance of other acid-base imbalances that have been discovered in the present study. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of International Archives of Integrated Medicine is the property of International Archives of Integrated Medicine and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full . (Copyright applies to all s.)

SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence in the city of Hyderabad, India in early 2021.

Background: COVID-19 emerged as a global pandemic in 2020, spreading rapidly to most parts of the world. The proportion of infected individuals in a population can be reliably estimated via serosurveillance, making it a valuable tool for planning control measures. Our serosurvey study aimed to investigate SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence in the urban population of Hyderabad at the end of the first wave of infections. Methods: This cross-sectional survey, conducted in January 2021 and including males and females aged 10 years and above, used multi-stage random sampling. 9363 samples were collected from 30 wards distributed over six zones of Hyderabad, and tested for antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid antigen. Results: Overall seropositivity was 54.2%, ranging from 50% to 60% in most wards. Highest exposure appeared to be among those aged 30-39 and 50-59 years, with women showing greater seropositivity. Seropositivity increased with family size, with only marginal differences among people with varying levels of education. Seroprevalence was significantly lower among smokers. Only 11% of the survey subjects reported any COVID-19 symptoms, while 17% had appeared for COVID-19 testing. Conclusion: Over half the city's population was infected within a year of onset of the pandemic. However, ∼ 46% of people remained susceptible, contributing to subsequent waves of infection.